1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to vehicle rearview mirror assemblies having capacitive proximity sensors for detecting the presence of an object close to the surface of a mirror.
2. Background Art
Advanced vehicle systems are constantly being developed by automobile manufactures in order to address customer desires and potentially provide a competitive advantage. Many such vehicle systems address aesthetic aspects of a vehicle appearance or methods of operation.
U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 20070114810 provides a system of remotely operating a head restraint in a vehicle. In the system of this application, the forwardly positioned vehicle occupant (i.e., the driver) is able to remotely operate a head restraint located in a rearward position. This functionality is provided by viewing the target head restraint in a rearview mirror and then positioning an object (e.g., a finger) proximate to the reflective image of the head restraint desired to be operated. A transmitter (e.g. transmitter) in the mirror assembly sends a signal to a receiver associated with the head restraint which in turn causes an actuator to move the head restraint. Variations of the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 20070114810 utilize one or more capacitive sensors. Currently available “off the shelf” sensors are expensive and tend to interfere with rearview mirror reflectivity.
Accordingly, there exists a need for inexpensive capacitive sensors that do not significantly interfere with the reflection properties of a rearview mirror when incorporated therein.